Many individuals have sensitive eyes that may become aggravated by various indoor and outdoor activities. Contact lens wearers are one example of this population, which can find even a short hike in the park difficult, particularly on dry, windy days when their lenses are more prone to becoming displaced. In addition, millions of Americans suffer from dry eye syndrome, a condition characterized by a decline in the quality or quantity of tears bathing the eye, resulting in constant eye irritation. Exposure to wind, sunlight and allergens can exacerbate dry eye syndrome leading to ulceration of the cornea, and eventual loss of vision.
Protective eyewear of the prior art for use in sports and the like, typically includes an inner liner made of foam configured to fit between a safety glass frame and a wearer's face. Eyewear having a foam component contacting the wearer's face, though suitable for activities such as skiing and motorcycle riding, is found to be objectionable for everyday use. Specifically, wearers frequently find eyewear with a foam liner to be overly confining. Moreover, foam liners quickly become saturated with sweat during use in sports, and wear out over time with minimal to frequent usage.
Thus, there is a need in the art for eyewear that provides more protection than a typical pair of glasses and perhaps less than a pair of goggles. Specifically, there is a need for eyewear that is suitable for blocking wind, dust, moisture, glare, allergens, and harmful ultraviolet radiation, which is also fashionable, comfortable, durable and fog-resistant.